diff --git a/pkg/acceptance/cluster/dockercluster.go b/pkg/acceptance/cluster/dockercluster.go
index 34c0352503a8..0fef62f91997 100644
--- a/pkg/acceptance/cluster/dockercluster.go
+++ b/pkg/acceptance/cluster/dockercluster.go
@@ -887,6 +887,7 @@ func (l *DockerCluster) Cleanup(ctx context.Context, preserveLogs bool) {
 	}
 	for _, v := range volumes {
 		if preserveLogs && v.Name() == "logs" {
+			log.Infof(ctx, "preserving log directory: %s", l.volumesDir)
 			continue
 		}
 		if err := os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(l.volumesDir, v.Name())); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/acceptance/util_docker.go b/pkg/acceptance/util_docker.go
index a0f332840502..8104e2f59a14 100644
--- a/pkg/acceptance/util_docker.go
+++ b/pkg/acceptance/util_docker.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/base"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/build/bazel"
 	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/security/username"
+	"github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/pkg/util/log"
 	"github.com/containerd/containerd/platforms"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types"
 	"github.com/docker/docker/api/types/container"
@@ -121,18 +122,33 @@ func testDocker(
 			cfg.Nodes = append(cfg.Nodes, cluster.NodeConfig{Stores: []cluster.StoreConfig{{}}})
 		}
 		l := StartCluster(ctx, t, cfg).(*cluster.DockerCluster)
-		defer l.AssertAndStop(ctx, t)
+
+		var preserveLogs bool
+		defer func() {
+			// Check the final health of the cluster nodes and
+			// stop the cluster after that.
+			l.AssertAndStop(ctx, t)
+
+			// Note: we must be careful to clean up the volumes *after*
+			// the cluster has been shut down (in the `AssertAndStop` call).
+			// Otherwise, the directory removal will cause the cluster nodes
+			// to crash and report abnormal termination, even when the test
+			// succeeds otherwise.
+			log.Infof(ctx, "cleaning up docker volume")
+			l.Cleanup(ctx, preserveLogs)
+		}()
 
 		if len(l.Nodes) > 0 {
 			containerConfig.Env = append(containerConfig.Env, "PGHOST="+l.Hostname(0))
 		}
 
+		log.Infof(ctx, "starting one-shot container")
 		err = l.OneShot(
 			ctx, acceptanceImage, types.ImagePullOptions{}, containerConfig, hostConfig,
 			platforms.DefaultSpec(), "docker-"+name,
 		)
-		preserveLogs := err != nil
-		l.Cleanup(ctx, preserveLogs)
+		log.Infof(ctx, "one-shot container terminated: %v", err)
+		preserveLogs = err != nil
 	})
 	return err
 }